Somewhere He Opens A Window
by ForzaOUAT
Summary: A Rumbelle version of The Sound of Music.
1. Chapter 1

Somewhere He Opens A Window

Intro

Solving Problems

Belle was happy, content, at peace for the first time in ...more years than she cared to remember. She was seated under a tree, in the outdoors, breathing fresh air. She was intent on the book that lay open in her lap. So involved, in fact, she did not hear the Abby bell when it chimed for afternoon prayers. Perhaps she heard it so often, hour after hour, day after day that she had simply blocked it out. Whatever the case, when it finally did break through into the world her book had created, she had no idea whether it was on it's first or last chime. She bolted to her feet, grabbed her wimple which she had removed to feel the breeze in her hair, and ran toward the church. She left her book behind in the grass. She entered through the main gates, splashed some water from the fountain on her face and took off for the main hall until the group of nuns who were standing together nearby caught her attention. Busted! She looked up at the group, sighed and walked away down the hall toward her small room. She could have stopped to grab her book if she'd known she was going to get caught anyway. At least then she'd have something to do when she was relegated to her room for the next several weeks. She had no doubt Mother Superior would have a few ...if not many, choice words for her.

She sat on her bed fidgeting. She could pray, but she always felt closer to God out there, on the mountain, with the wind on her face, than she did stifled in this tiny cell. It wasn't that she didn't want this life. She had always wanted this life, and to think she might have put it in jeopardy by her own foolishness made her ill, but she never understood why the novices were not allowed to go outside the courtyard. She had grown up on these mountains, she knew them better than most. These mountains had led her to the Abby. She could not fear them. She respected them, as she did all nature, but she did not fear them. A knock on the door brought her back to the situation at hand.

"Sister Belle?"

"Yes?" She didn't know why she bothered to ask ...as if by some miracle the Reverend Mother had seen fit to just let this one time pass.

"The Reverend Mother will see you now." The older nun put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed.

Belle bowed her head. "Yes, sister. Thank you."

It was like walking down the hall to her own execution. Perhaps if she threw herself on the Mother's mercy? How many times had she done that in the past? Too many. All she could do was ask for forgiveness. However resolved she was to take her punishment with bravery this time, she couldn't help the words that slipped from her the moment she walked into the office. "Oh, Reverend Mother, I'm so sorry."

The old woman looked at her fondly. "It's not necessary to apologize, my child."

Belle had a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach. "Oh, please, Mother, do let me ask for forgiveness."

"Well, if it would make you feel better."

Belle nodded. "Yes. You see, the sky was so blue today and everything was so green and fragrant, I just had to be a part of it."

The older woman shook her head. "Child, suppose darkness had come and you were lost."

"Oh, Mother, I could never be lost up there." Belle almost laughed. She was lost a good majority of the time, but never there. "That's my mountain, I grew up on it."

Mother Superior held up a hand and silenced her rambling. Her eyes grew soft for a moment and then she turned away, toward her desk. "Belle, it seems to be the will of God that you leave us."

"Leave?" Belle was horrified. Leave? She couldn't leave. This was her home. Where on earth would she go? She had no family, no friends ...just this. It was all she knew. All she ever wanted to know.

"Only for a while, Belle." Mother Superior did not look angry, but Belle had never been sent away before either. "There is a family in Maine who need a governess until September."

Belle's mouth fell open in horror. "September?"

"Yes. A business man and his son. He was injured many years ago from what I understand and the boy has become too much for him to deal with alone. He has apparently had a most difficult time keeping a governess there."

"What's wrong with the boy?" Belle wanted to take the question back the moment it left her mouth. What on earth kind of question was that?

To her credit, the Mother Superior did not comment. "I will tell Mr. Gold to expect you in the morning. I'm afraid you'll have to leave as soon as possible. We've arranged for someone to drive you to Boston. Mr. Gold said he would have a car waiting when you arrived."

Belle didn't bother to argue anymore. She knew it wasn't going to help. She was being sent away from the only safe place she had ever known and into a family of strangers to take care of a child who was apparently enough of a terror that his father had been reduced to asking nuns to help him.

As she walked back to her room to gather her things she straightened her back and shook off the feeling of despair trying to invade her mind. She had to be brave, or at least she had to do the brave thing ...bravery would follow. It was only six months. September would be here before she knew it and she would be back where she belonged. She simply had to believe that she could help this man. Clearly there was some miscommunication between he and his son. She vowed then and there that she would do everything in her power to mend the relationship before she left. Perhaps if they found one another again, the boy and his father would not need her there at all.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N Your thoughts and comments are appreciated on so many levels. Much of this story, the parts with the children and Mr. Gold, will follow The Sound of Music pretty closely. Obviously this is an updated version, so there is no war and no Nazi's so some of it will be completely AU. I think, however, if you have seen The Sound of Music, there will be things in every chapter that will bring you back into the original story. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy it. This is my first musical undertaking. Be kind. Oh, and I am not actually watching the film as I write this. This is completely and entirely from memory (which should probably frighten me a little, but it doesn't). ;)_

Confidence (2/15)

The drive to Boston was uneventful and the priest behind the wheel had the personality of a Kleenex. Belle sighed. And she shouldn't think things like that, it was unkind. She had attempted to start a conversation with the man at least ten times and aside from grunts that registered as either yes, no or mild irritation, he said nothing. It was tedious. It was boring. It made her want to pull her hair out. She was not sure she had ever been so happy to see the towering structures of a city in the distance before. And when they pulled up to a nice-looking, clearly upper class brownstone, she sighed. The priest stopped the car and Belle glanced at him. He was staring at her expectantly. Apparently this was the end of her ride.

She grabbed the one bag she had with her and stepped out of the car. "It was a pleasure getting to know you, father." She flinched, unable to decide if the sarcasm had been completely obvious or not.

He seemed unaffected, nodding and pulling away immediately after she closed the door. Belle turned around and looked up at the building in front of her. The Reverend Mother had said a driver would be waiting. There was no one on this street. No one at all. She had the Gold's address, but getting to Storybrooke from here without money was going to be a challenge. She started when a hand tentatively touched her shoulder.

"Are you the sister from the Abbey?"

She turned to find a tall man with wild, curly red hair standing behind her. "You startled me."

He blushed. "I am so sorry. I didn't mean to sneak up on you."

Belle waved off his apology. Of course he hadn't meant it. She held out her hand. "I'm Belle."

He flashed her a genuine smile. "Hopper ...Archie ...I mean my first name is Archie. Are you ready to go?"

Belle grinned at him. "Might as well, I doubt Mr. Gold will tolerate my being late."

Archie actually nodded at this observation. "That is very true."

In a perfect counterpoint to the drive to Boston, the drive to Storybrooke was much more enjoyable. Archie told her about Mr. Gold and his teenage son who's name was ...and she was still processing this information, Baelfire. A name the boy apparently detested so much he wouldn't answer to it at all. Belle supposed that would drive any parent insane. The only problem with Archie being as talkative as he was come in the form of horror stories he told her about Bae. The instance that the child had filled the car with snakes taking a firm lead in her excessively fertile imagination.

When they pulled into a large circular driveway, Belle gaped. She had, of course, assumed that Mr. Gold was a wealthy man but this place looked less like a home and more like a fortress. She paused a moment to wonder if Baelfire felt the same way. Archie noticed her astonished expression and nodded. "It's something, isn't it?"

"You have turrets, Archie." Belle stated flatly. Honest to goodness turrets as if they were living in medieval times.

He smiled at her and pulled her luggage out of the trunk. "Miss Boyd will meet you at the door."

Belle turned, smiling. "That's very nice of her."

He smirked. "Not really, she's nosy. I can see her hovering from here. All the best to you sister. I'm sure we'll see one another again, if nothing else to take the children to school." He slid back into the car and was gone before Belle managed to register that he had said 'children' as in more than one, plural.

She took a deep breath, picked up her bag, and headed for the door. Come what may, she was being given a taste of freedom. That is what the Mother Superior had wanted. For her to feel safe, but also free, to make her own choices, and her own mistakes. She had been at the Abbey since she was 18 and had always believed her future lay with her God. It was time for her to step outside the walls of that safety net and take a good look inside herself. It was going to take courage and confidence. Fortunately, Belle had both.

#

As Archie had stated, a young blonde woman opened the door to the massive house ...castle? ...house, before she could actually knock. She had on a maids uniform and a bright, open smile that made Belle smile back at her. She looked delighted. "You must be Sister Belle. My name is Ashley Boyd. I am so glad you're here!"

"Thank you. I hope Mr. Gold and Baelfire feel the same."

Ashley looked momentarily confused, but she recovered quickly. "I wouldn't call him that if you want to be in his good graces, miss. Bae is rather picky. Took us years to get him to let us call him Bae."

Belle cocked her head to one side. "Why?"

The young woman looked shocked. "I don't honestly know."

Belle laughed. "Perhaps we should ask him."

Ashley appeared to be about to respond when a soft, husky voice, thick with a Scottish brogue he had no hope of hiding came from behind them. "Yes, perhaps we should. Miss Boyd, have you things to do?"

She nodded. "Yes, Mr. Gold." And then she was gone. It was so fast, Belle could have sworn the girl had run. Was this Mr. Gold really that bad?

She turned around to face him, unwilling to cower as the other girl had done. He might be overbearing, he might be strict, he might be a lot of things, but he was not going to scare ...her eyes fell on the man behind the voice and she stared, relief coursing through her. He was perhaps two inches taller than she was, distinguished in a tailored three piece suit, and leaning on a gold headed cane. His brown hair was longer than she'd expected, brushing his shoulders. His eyes, she found, were the color of whiskey, an amber brown that she couldn't seem to stop staring at.

His eyes flicked over her for several moments before he finally seemed to get annoyed. "Are you quite all right, Sister ..." he snapped his fingers. "Sister ..."

"Belle," she said, answering his unasked question.

"What an odd name for a nun," he observed more to himself than to her.

Belle bristled. "I chose not to change my name when I became a novitiate, sir. It is not common, of course, but it is hardly unheard of."

His eyes snapped up to hers. "I did not mean it as an insult Sister Belle. Simply an observation. Why are you looking at me like that?"

Belle smiled. "My apologies, Mr. Gold. You are nothing like I thought you would be."

Gold looked at her warily and then shrugged. "We should call the children."

There it was again. Children. Plural. Belle had assumed that Archie misspoke. Now she had a sinking feeling in her stomach. "Children, sir?"

"Yes. Did the Reverend Mother not tell you?" She shook her head and he sighed. "I see. Well, sister, you will be governess to seven children." She opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out, leaving her gaping like a fish. "Do you like children, Sister Belle?"

"Well ...yes, but _seven?_"

Mr. Gold watched her carefully. Probably for signs of panic, running or fainting. She squared her shoulders and composed herself and she almost thought she saw him relax slightly. "My son, Baelfire, is my only biological child, the rest of the children were abandoned here by my ex-wife. I could not turn them away."

Belle's heart immediately melted. Abandoned? Who ...why ...what would abandon six children? How was that even possible? Suddenly, it didn't matter to her how many children Mr. Gold had. She had every intention of staying here and if she found they needed someone to talk to, someone to truly listen to them, someone who was not too busy or overwhelmed, she was going to be that person. She looked on Mr. Gold with new eyes. Somewhere under the rough brogue and harsh businessman was a kind and generous soul. At least, she thought kindly of him until he spoke again. "You will need to change your clothes."

She started. "But, sir, I have no other clothes. I would have made a dress but there wasn't time. I can make my own clothes."

His face twisted in distaste. "I shall see that you get some material." He paused and then, "Today if possible." He turned away from her, toward the upper hallway, and a loud, shrill sound echoed through the house.

Belle stared at him in disbelief. Was he ...no ...he couldn't be, but he was ...he was using a whistle. She almost sighed. She had more work to do here than she'd realized.


	3. Chapter 3

Somewhere He Opens a Window

_A/N Well, originally I was going to go with all the songs for chapter titles and then realized that wasn't going to be possible. So now some of the chapters will be titles from the songs in the movie, and some ...well ...won't. I do so appreciate all your feedback everyone. I am having a BLAST writing this story. I had no idea I would actually enjoy it this much. Go figure. Thank you so much to everyone who is reading and commenting. I love your thoughts and feelings so much. Okay, I'm rambling. Off you go._

The Children of Gold (3/15)

The whistle trilled through the house. It was so loud that Belle was tempted to cover her ears, but the the sound of people moving ...running even, overpowered it. Belle instinctively moved closer to Mr. Gold hoping that should the stairs collapse he might protect her. She looked up toward the sound of stomping shoes and slamming doors to find children running out and lining up at the railing facing into the main atrium where she and Mr. Gold were standing. The pitch of the whistle changed and Belle watched in horror as the children fell into a kind of military formation and marched ….MARCHED down the stairs, lining up in what appeared to be eldest to youngest in front of her. She felt a shiver of half dread and half pity shudder down her spine. Were they always like this? Surely not.

It took her a moment, given how many children she was looking at, to realize that someone was missing. They stood there in silence, fidgeting, until a young boy appeared from another room. His head was buried in a book and it was very apparent, given how much he looked like his father, that this was Bae. Gold cleared his throat and Bae raised his head, stepping into his place in the center of the line. He did not look particularly fearful of the death glare his father was giving him. The other children tried to hide their looks of irritation when Gold dismissed the incident but Belle could see that they were upset. Did Gold favor his biological son? That could be a serious problem.

Gold walked up and down the line as if he were inspecting his troops and finally stopped. "Now. When you hear your signal you will step forward and give your name. You, Sister Belle, will learn their signals so you can call them when you want them.

Belle watched in a sort of silent horror as Gold tweeted the whistle and each child stepped forward in turn. They, apparently, were used to this sort of thing because each stepped forward and blurted out a name. Belle couldn't begin to remember the signals given how stunned she was that a father would reduce his children to answering to a whistle in the first place. When, finally, it was over, Gold looked at Belle and held out another whistle. "Now, let's see how well you listened."

She stared. First at the small, gold object in his hand, and then at him, but made no move to take it. He sighed. "You must be able to call them, Sister." He held the whistle out again. "The children will help you."

Reluctantly she took it and pried her stunned eyes off of Gold to look around at the children who were still standing, literally, at attention. It was creepy. "Can I not just call them by their names? They are such lovely names."

"This is a very large estate, Sister. I suggest you learn to use that." He nodded toward the whistle. "Now, when I want you, this is what you will hear."

When the shrill sound once more rent the air, Belle had had enough. "No sir!" She was drowned out by the sound so she raised her voice. "NO SIR!" He stopped, looking at her incredulously. She shook her head. "I could never answer to a whistle. Whistles are for dogs and cats but not for children and DEFINITELY not for me."

Gold stared at her for several moments as if he had only just seen her in this moment. "Sister, were you this much trouble at the Abbey?"

Belle answered honestly. "Oh, no ...much more, sir."

He sighed, dropped his whistle in his pocket and walked away.

Belle was encouraged by the laughter she could hear coming from the group, but when she turned back to them they stopped immediately. What kind of place was this? It didn't appear to be a prison, but looks, she knew, could be deceiving. She tried to smile. Tried to offer them some inkling of kindness in this very sterile environment. There was no response ...at all. "Erm ...at ease." They relaxed ...sort of and Belle let it go. It would take time. "Could you please give me all your names again and tell me how old you are? And, if it is alright with you, we shall forgo the whistle."

They exchanged looks of incredulous disbelief, and then the eldest girl stepped forward. "My name is Emma, I am 17, and as I am leaving for college in a few months I have no need for a governess."

Belle nodded. "I see. Perhaps we can just be friends." Emma looked less than enthusiastic about that idea as she stepped back into the line.

"I'm Jefferson," the next boy in line said. He was a striking young man, but where his father's face was all sharp planes and angles, his was softer, more like his mother perhaps ..or his biological father. It was impossible to say. "I'm 16 and I'm impossible"

Belle laughed openly at this deceleration. "Really? I'll keep that in mind. Who told you that?"

Jefferson paused, seeming to have to give it some serious thought. "Mrs. Nolan. Four governesses ago." Belle made a mental note to keep an eye on the boy. He looked almost angelic with a shock of dark hair that was growing longer like his father's and soft brown eyes, but there was a mischievousness about him that was unsettling.

Baelfire stepped forward next and from the look on his face, Belle could see that he was going to be the hardest nut to crack. "I'm Ray," he said simply and stepped back. Belle almost rolled her eyes. Really? Ray? That was the best he could come up with?

She smiled at him. "You didn't tell me how old you are ..Bae."

The girl next to him took over at this point. "I'm Ruby." She pointed at the girl next to her who was clearly her twin. "And this is Mary. We're 12. That's Bae and he's 14. And I think your dress is the ugliest one I ever saw."

Mary looked absolutely horrified. "Ruby, you can't just tell people their clothes are ugly."

Ruby shrugged. "Why not?"

The girls exchanged a significant look and Ruby fell quiet. Belle knew that looks were deceiving. It would appear that Mary had the upper hand in the relationship between the two girls, but from the sour look on Ruby's face, that was clearly not the case.

A small boy stepped to her side and looked up at her. She blinked several times wondering how, exactly, he hand managed to get so many of Mr. Gold's physical traits. If she didn't know better she would have thought this boy his biological child as well. He smiled at her softly and then the differences were glaringly obvious. He had a soft, quiet voice that made Belle think he might be the peace keeper among the group. "I'm Henry. I'll be 11 on Tuesday. Papa promised to throw me a party. A really big party." He paused, gauging Belle's reaction to this news. "I don't really like parties."

Belle smiled at him, forcing herself not to reach out and ruffle his hair. "I don't really like big parties either. Too many strangers."

Henry nodded and stepped aside to reveal the youngest girl. She was hiding behind him, but she was clearly curious. Belle met her a gaze and gave her a gentle smile. "Yes ..you're Grace." The little girl giggled and held up her hand, displaying five fingers. "You're five years old?" Belle asked. The child nodded. "Your almost all grown up."

Grace giggled again and slipped her tiny had into Belle's. It was warm and slightly sticky and Belle would not have let go of her for anything. She turned to the children at large and sighed. "I have to tell you a secret." All of them, including Emma, seemed to lean toward her. Secrets were always a good thing. "I've never been a governess before so I'll need lots of help."

The reaction was instantaneous; a cacophony of voices telling her everything she didn't need to know about taking care of children. From being late to dinner, to breaking the dishes, to being sure to cut roses from Mr. Gold's rosebush every day to place in vases around the house. It was Grace who finally cut in. "Don't you believe a word they say, Sister Belle."

"Oh ...why not?"

Grace grinned. "Because I like you."

Belle's heart melted. It was not going to be hard for her to fall in love with these kids. And just perhaps she could take away the tension that seemed to be consistently present around them and create a family before she left.


End file.
